Togolese

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Of or relating to the West African country of Togo, its people, or their culture
2. Belonging to or characteristic of Togo, a nation on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, or its inhabitants
3. Pertaining to Togo or the Togolese people, language, or customs

Etymology: Togolese is a demonym: the word for a person or thing from Togo, the West African country. Its shape comes from the country name plus the suffix "-ese," the same ending found in words like Chinese, Japanese and Maltese. English adds "-ese" to place names this way, so the pattern is ordinary even if the country is not. The surprising part is the extra "l." Togolese came into English from French "togolais," and French inserted that "-l-" to avoid a clumsy run of vowels, "-o" followed by "-ais." The same thing happened with "congolais," the French source of "Congolese." English does not use this insertion in comparable words: "Faroese" and "Chicagoese" keep the plain "-o-" plus "-ese" with no "l" in between.